Red Bull MotoGP Academy: Back in training

The complete line-up of the 2008 Red Bull MotoGP Academy were finally brought together today (Thursday) in Barcelona, for a selection of activities designed to prepare them for the coming season in the CEV Buckler Spanish Championship.

The complete line-up of the 2008 Red Bull MotoGP Academy were finally brought together today (Thursday) in Barcelona, for a selection of activities designed to prepare them for the coming season in the CEV Buckler Spanish Championship.

Missing from the outfit's first meeting last month - which took the form of a medical examination before Christmas in Spain's second city - American rider Cameron Beaubier joined fellow Red Bull MotoGP Academy alumni Johann Zarco, Danny Kent and Jonas Folger at the project's headquarters to take a look at their new KTM machines in the morning, before an afternoon of motorcross.
The quartet, accompanied by non-participating academy graduate Takaaki Nakagami, were given the chance to give the once over to the 125cc machines used by the factory KTM team in last year's World Championship season, passed on to them for use on the Spanish national stage.
After loading four onerous motorcross bikes into their van, the riders then headed to nearby Cardedeu for a training session on the dirt track. To make the event all the more exciting, they were not the only ones getting in shape in the afternoon; MotoGP World Championship runner-up Dani Pedrosa, 250cc rider Esteve Rabat and academy mentors Alberto Puig & Raul Jara all shared the tight and twisty track with the teenagers.
After a series of turns round the private circuit, divided into 15 minute sets, Beaubier gave his first impressions of Red Bull MotoGP Academy activity.
"It's been really fun to get together and do some motorcross with my friends. I can't wait to start riding in the Spanish Championship, and I was really impressed with what I saw when we went to see the new bikes today," said the American, whose parents had made the trip to Europe to see their son in action. The former Red Bull Rookies Cup participant's father was also left with a good feeling about the academy setup.
"Coming to Spain is the best option for a young rider," said the proud parent. "In America there isn't much of a way in to the World Championship, and from what I've seen of the Red Bull MotoGP Academy this is a fantastic opportunity and a well-run project. I think that Cameron's mother may find him living in Europe tougher than him though!"